Paneer Fried Rice

Paneer Fried Rice

                  Most Kids love to eat paneer in the form of cubes or pieces rather than eating in a scrambled form.  My kids too are like that. When I made the Paneer Fried Rice with crumbled paneer, my kids did not like it and it went to the bin twice. So I make it in a different way with paneer cubes. I marinate them else it tastes bland. Sometimes, I make with sauces too just like the Chicken Tikka Fried Rice, it turns great. However  I do not favour sauces much so today I made the paneer tikka on stove top and then made the fried rice with them. This paneer tikka fried rice can be made either way with sauces or using the paneer tikka marination. If you wish to use the sauce version, pls check at the end of this post, I have mentioned the right quantity of sauces. Perfect for a lunch box.

You can make this rice with Paneer tikkas made in oven too

Ingredients

1 cup of uncooked long fragrant rice (any)

¼ cup of thinly sliced peppers (red and green)

¼ cup of carrots and Spring onions (separate white and greens)

½ to ¾ tbsp. vinegar (optional)

2 tbsps olive oil (can reduce)

1 tsp oil for frying paneer

Marination

½ to ¾ cup of paneer cubes

2 to 3 tbps of yogurt

red chili powder as needed

salt to taste

Jumbo pinch of turmeric

½ tsp ginger garlic paste (optional)

¼ tsp garam masala

Method

1.   Marinate  paneer with the marination ingredients and set aside for atleast 15 mins

2.   Soak the rice for 15 to 30 mins and cook in lot of water till it is done. Do not overcook and make the rice mushy. Drain off the water and set this rice aside. if you are using a sticky variety of rice, add few drops of oil to the water while cooking rice

3.   Heat a wide pan with 1 tsp oil, add the paneer along with the marinade and cook on medium high till the paneer turns crisp. This step takes only 3 to 4 mins, try using a wide pan, else the yogurt will take long time to evaporate and paneer could turn hard. set these aside

4.   Add olive oil to the same pan, add carrots and white part of spring onions, sauté till carrots are half done

5.   Add bell peppers and sprinkle some salt and fry till capsicums are almost done

6.   Add fried paneer and green onions, toss everything well.

7.   Add rice, pepper powder and vinegar, mix and fry on high for 2 mins

Sauces for Indochinese style (skip step 2 , fry paneer at step 6 ,mix all sauces and pour in the pan, when the sauces begin to bubble add rice and pepper powder)

½ to ¾ tbsp. vinegar

1 tbsp chili sauce (green, red any)

1 tbsp  soya sauce

½ tbsp. garlic sauce